Port a Caths Failed

Can you believe it. Hayden's port a cath has failed and it has not been in his body 12 months. Failed means that it is blocked in some way and blood, heprin and other such fluid cant move in and out of his body as required. This means surgery.

Port a cath....I forget that in our house everyone knows what this medical device is but most people would not have even heard of one. It is a device that is inserted into Hayden's vein near his heart and enables easy access for his monthly blood tests. It also is handy when he need hospitalisation for IV fluids to be administered.

Here is a picture of Hayden showing off his medical devices. Thank you to the tax payers of New Zealand for all the medical intervention Hayden gets. DD took the photo for a school project about modern technology in our house. I guess this was a unique photo amongst the class.



Anyway back to the surgery bit. I found out yesterday that surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday. A very quick notification for surgery which is surprising as the health system, in my experience, is not known for it speed.

I am really grateful for the surgery happening now even though I hate the thought of trying to entertain Hayden with an IV lure in, nurse him through the nausea he get from anesthetic so he can be discharged much later in the day.

I really am grateful
that the surgery is happening now and not in the middle of winter
that there will be a play specialist there to help, fingers crossed
I will have time to give Hayden his Rubifen before we go
the staff at Starship Day Stay know Hayden
I will get to sleep in my own bed and not on a mattress in a ward
That DH is home for my other children

My hairdresser

I am not a vain person by nature but I love my hairdresser.

In the space of 2 hours she can take away my natural highlights (yes about 3/4 of my hair is that colour and been going that way since I was about 16years old), and replace them with artificial highlights. Let's not forget the haircut wanted - short and sharp looking. My curls have all been cut out, yay. I know many people go to the hairdressers to have them put in but mine really have the 80's look about them and take ages to look after.

Phew.

I love my hairdresser. Now to take a photo......I hate having my photo taken.



Okay DS2 and I had a little fun taking the photo and took the top of my head and you can see DS just in the corner.

I have a bloggers block

Is there such a thing...A bloggers block? If there is then I have it.

I wonder if it is because life has been so busy I haven't had time sit and reflect on what is going on.

This weekend, for example started with a very busy friday night.

DD had 4pm hockey practice and DS1 needed to be dropped at Wilson Home, the place where is in residential respite care ideally before 4.30pm. Right I had to be in two separate parts of Auckland all at the same time. Thanks to my Dad hockey was taken care of and I was off on the trip from the southern tip of Auckland across the harbour bridge in peak hour traffic. To cut a long story short at 7.30pm I finally get home and put my two little cherubs to bed. I am exhausted.

Saturday we are up and leave home at 7.40am to get to hockey by 8.00. The game is at 8.30 and it is 10 degrees F and raining. We have no heating as last years version broke and after shopping for a gas heater. Its lunchtime by now and all the household chores need doing. 8.30pm I collapse into bed.

Sunday up and out to swimming for 8.30am then off to church and a practice for DD after. Another 12.00 arrival back at home. Get tonight diner done and the children have play date. Finally off to collect DS1 by 4pm with all children in bed lights out and asleep by 7.15. I am left to tidy the house and do ironing before I go to bed.


At least the sun was shining today.


I am amazed I can even think as I sit here to blog.

Phew After all of this I leave you with a page I made of DD for the Font Challenge I host over at Nuts4Digi.

Oh my how you Sparkle



credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

ANZAC Day

I know that I am a little late but on Saturday we commemorated the brave New Zealand and Australian troops who fought at Anzac Cove in Turkey 25 April 1915.

There is a growing attendance at the dawn service in New Zealand. Unfortunately it is just a little too early for this young family we did make a special trip down the road to our local memorial.

So in their memory I salute you and all those who have given up so much in the name of freedom.

For the Fallen

They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.

From the poem by Laurence Binyon

This is the poppy that the returned service men and women sell to help raise money to support the needs of all service men and women of New Zealand.



Finally our local memorial. Small and simple but does the job to remind us all.

How hard can it be?

How hard can it be for a pharmaceutical company to stay in stock of the nutrition supplement my son needs over night?

After this weeks experience I would say impossible. The warehouses had no stock, the parent company in New Zealand had none. Consequently I had to make a run into our nearest hospital to collect a couple of nights worth of food.



I hope they sort out the problem before too long because it has taken 5 days to sort this temporary solution out.

P365 week 15 and 16

Here are my next two weeks for Project 365

week 15



The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

week 16



The credits are here at Nuts4Digi

The Holidays.

It is the school holidays so my blogging has got very slack. These two weeks have been full of adventure, the at home and day trip variety.

We have been hiking, kite flying, box carting, ferry riding and exploring the military caves of North Head. The children have been baking, and chalk drawing, climbing trees and to the movies. We have had visitors, done some gardening and constructed a worm farm.

Phew I get exhausted just thinking about it. DH has done a little more painting, I have made some bedroom curtains and have taken DS1 to hospital for neurology appointment and to have blood taken from his port a cath. Oops it has failed and it looks like he is in for some more surgery....yuck.

DS1 has had a week in respite care so I have had some mornings to sleep in and sleep through the night which is always fabulous.

I hope all your holidays have been fun and full of adventure like ours.

Watch out for some more photos but here is a LO taken with the children paddling in the sea after taking a ferry ride to Devonport from Auckland City.



The credits are here at Nuts4Digi

Friends

At this time when the funeral on my friend has been, it sit here with terribly mixed emotions.

My tissues and tears were out and well used at the funeral. About 200 people turned up to the New Zealand many of whom I knew. So bitter sweet really so sad but fabulous to catch up with people I have not see for some time.

Anyway this has really bought me to reflect upon friends and what they really mean to me,

My friends loss will be greatly felt. She was always there when I needed someone to lean on, someone to share good and not so good news, the highs and lows, the laughter and tears. She respected me and inspired me to be my best.

So to all fabulous friends out there. I love you and value what you mean to me.

Finally I thought that I would put this little poem in memory of my lost friend.

Do Not Stand at my Side

Do not stand at my side and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep,
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn rain,
I am the shining star at night,
When you awake to the morning light.

My time has come, I am at rest,
I am the swift, uplifting rush,
Of quiet birds in circling flight,
I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my side and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

A Very Sad Day

Friendship is something to be cherished for ever. So today I sit numb with sadness and shedding tears as I take in the news that a really good friend of mine was out riding her bike when she was hit by a very fast moving car and left for dead on the side of the road. Sadly and despite the efforts of the medical staff my friend passed away.

She leaves behind a husband and a tweenaged son.

My hugs, prayers and support go to those whom are left behind.

Another day out

Phew I think I am worn out. It is the forth day of the holidays and we have been doing the staycation thing. Today we decided, because DS1 was off to residential respite care over on the North Shore of Auckland, we would give the children an opportunity to ride on a commuters ferry from Auckland City to Devonport on the North Shore.

The day was a perfect Autumns day. The sun was shining the sky was blue and we didn't need sweatshirts. I was the designated driver so DH and the children could cross the harbour and meet me on the other side. They were all very excited as they left the car. I smiled as I saw everyone skipping their way to the ferry building. Luckily the water was very calm and the ride was smooth. Smiles and excited chatter greeted me when I arrived to pick them all up.

Isn't it wonderful when an experience that is everyday for some people can be really exciting for others.